Oyster-tongs



(Remodel.)

.B.E.LEARY. OYSTER TONGS.

Patented-Dec. 4, 1894.,

-WiTNSEEEE- n'raN. ul c,

Tw: Nonms PETERS cov, FHoTo-LITNO., msnm lUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELMER E. LEARY, OF ROCK HALL, MARYLAND.

oYsTERLToNGs.

PECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 530,346, dated December 4, 1894.

Application filed August 6,1894. Serial No. 519,536. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it knownthat I, ELMER E. LEARY, of Rock Hall, in the county of Kent and State of Maryland, have invented certain Improvements in Oyster-Tongs, of which the following is a specification.

In the description of the said invention which follows, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, forminga part hereof and in which- Figure l is an exterior side view of the improved oyster tongs with a portion of the pole thereof broken away. Fig. 2 is an exterior edge view of Fig. l. Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are details of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, A is a pole,

' and B B are arms hinged to the pole at a, and

thereby adapted to be opened and closed. The arms are shown closed in full lines and open in dotted lines in Fig. l.

C is a guide for the arms B when the same areopening and closing and also to limit the outward spread of the arms as will be readily understood.

At the lower ends of the arms B are scoops D formed of bars d and interlocking ngers f. See Figs. l and 2.

E is a cord looped and 4attached at its center to an eye or hook g of a block F suspended by a second cord G. One end of the second cord is secured to the pole at h and the other temporarily attached to the upper end of the pole, in a manner hereinafter described. The ends of the cord E pass around sheaves c' and j situated in slots lc and Z in the lower end of the pole A, and are attached to the arms B. See Fig. 1.

I-I is a rod situated in a slotmin the pole A, and I a crosshead adapted to slide on the rod I-I.

J J are rods hinged to the crosshead I, and also to the arms B at n.

A spiral spring K coiled about the rod H serves to yieldingly hold the crosshead I down toward its lower end and thereby spread the arms B as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

At the upper end of the cord G is a block L, see particularly Fig. 3, which is a section of the block L showing the cord therein. IA spring o prevents the cord from slipping 1n the block L.

M is a cleat secured to the pole A, between the branches of which the cord G is drawn when it is desired to retain the arms B in an closed condition. y y

To prepare the tongs for use, the cord G is slackened when the arms B are distended by the force ofthe spring K. The tongs while in this condition are dropped to the oyster bed, and then the cord Gis drawn up tightly until the inclosed oysters are properly held. The cord G is then passed between the forks or branches of cleat M, and the block L made to rest upon the cleat. The tongs with the inclosed oysters are then raised and the oysters discharged, after which the tongs are again lowered to the bed. The arms are then again distended for asecond operation.

`I claim as my invention- In a pair of oyster tongs, the combination of a pole, a pair of hinged arms with scoops at their lower ends, rods and a spring to yieldingly retain the arms in a distended position, Y

a cord attached to a block with its ends passed around sheaves and fastened to the said arms, a second cord reeved through the said block and leading to the upper end of the pole, and a cleat to hold the said cord when drawn tightly, substantially as specied.`

ELMER E. LEARY. 

